The present invention relates to the elimination of insects. More particularly, the invention provides a device to attract and poison flies and other flying insects.
Flying insects are annoying to both people and animals, more so flying insects are known to be harmful to all kinds of vegetation and agriculture in general. The direct and indirect damage to plantation and citrus orchards is well known and need no further elaboration. Insects are known to spread diseases by contacting contaminated matter and then settling on food for human consumption. For both reasons many devices for insect control have been developed, dating back to Medford""s U.S. Pat. No. 418,803 issued in 1890.
Insect control devices, aside from spays, can be roughly categorized into four groups:
a. Repellent devices which emit odors, sound or some form of electromagnetic radiation offensive to insects.
b. Traps and adhesive devices which entice insects to enter an enclosure or contact a sticky surface from which they do not escape.
c. Active devices, which kill insects by high voltage electricity or mechanical impact.
d. Poisoning devices.
Each group has its advantages and disadvantages. In Israel the most commonly used device in agriculture at present is a type xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d device which uses pheromones in order to attract the various insects.
The present state of the art may be learned from the following recent U.S. Patents:
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,354, Olson discloses a type xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d insect trapping device for mounting on a horizontal surface coated with an insect attracting adhesive. Due to its horizontal orientation the device is liable to become dirt coated after a short period of exposure and become ineffective.
A type xe2x80x9ccxe2x80x9d device is disclosed by Deyoreo et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,458. The novelty of the device lies in the addition of a fan-driven air flow to draw insects into contact with an electrically charged grid. Obviously, the cost of the device is even higher than devices relying on light alone to attract insects.
A further type xe2x80x9ccxe2x80x9d device is disclosed by Walton in U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,007 who describes a device having discharge lamp, a ballast inductor, a pulse transformer, a triac and a capacitor in a device having a lower electricity consumption. It is to be doubted whether the power savings justify the high first cost of the device.
Dowling et al disclose xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d type devices in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,608,988 and 5,815,981. The former specification is intended for use adjacent the glass pane of a window. There is no attraction means for insects that are intended to be trapped on an adhesive layer.
It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a device operating without electric power and which is resistant to becoming dirt coated, mainly but not exclusively for agricultural use.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device that can be manufactured at a cost lower than prior art devices.
The present invention achieves the above objects by providing a device for killing flying insects, The device includes a planar textile area arranged for suspension in a vertical plane, provided on one face with a pocket extending over a portion of the area, a closed edge of the pocket being disposed proximate to the center of the area, the pocket having at least one aperture to allow the insertion therethrough of a viscous liquid poisonous to flying insects and having an odor attractive to the insects. The liquid spreads over the major portion of the area by gravity and capillary action. Insects are attracted to the device dying consequent to ingestion of the liquid.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a device wherein the cloth and the pocket are of a yellow color.
In a most preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a device wherein a red-colored sector is disposed proximate to the center of the area on at least one face thereof.
Yet further embodiments of the invention will be described hereinafter.
It will thus be realized that the novel device of the present invention serves to effectively attract insects due to attracting same by a combination of visual and olfactory means. As the device is intended for use in the vertical plane, dirt accumulation on its active surfaces is much less of a problem than equivalent horizontal devices. The device is silent, and can be used anywhere, as no electric power is needed.